This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for vehicle rollover crash testing and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method which is adapted to provide consistent, full-scale and accurate replications of vehicle rollovers and which allows the roll rate and the translational and vertical velocity of a vehicle to be selectively controlled, adjusted and repeated from test to test.
It is desirable to conduct crash tests of vehicle rollovers in order to gain a better understanding of the vehicle""s characteristics and the interaction between the vehicle and its occupants during such instances. For example and without limitation, understanding a vehicle""s characteristics and vehicle/occupant interaction during such events allows the vehicle to be made safer. Particularly, the information acquired from such tests or analyses can be used to optimize the vehicle""s structure or geometry, the number and/or types of safety devices used within the vehicle, and/or the timing of the deployment of safety devices in order to better protect the occupants of the vehicle in such rollover situations.
Efforts have been made to determine and/or analyze a vehicle""s characteristics and vehicle/occupant interaction during rollover events. For example and without limitation, prior methods have included the use of a moving dolly or other device to launch the vehicle into a roll, rolling the vehicle down an incline, and attempted xe2x80x9ctrippingxe2x80x9d of the vehicle. One drawback associated with these prior efforts is that they do not allow for the rollover crash tests to occur in a controlled and consistent manner, and more specifically, do not allow the roof-to-ground impacts which occur during these rollover simulations to be repeatable in a controlled and consistent manner. Particularly, variations associated with tire-to-dolly and tire/wheel-to-ground interactions, which occur early in conventional rollover tests, tend to produce unpredictable and unrepeatable roof-to-ground impacts. Despite controlled testing conditions, these prior methods and apparatuses cause significant variations in vehicle rollover motions and impacts. Hence, although these prior methods and systems provide useful data, it is difficult to quantify or compare rollover performance of specific impacts with these prior methods and systems since they lack xe2x80x9crepeatabilityxe2x80x9d.
Applicants"" invention addresses these drawbacks and provides a new and improved method and an apparatus for vehicle rollover testing.
A first advantage of the invention is that it provides an apparatus and a method for vehicle rollover crash testing which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of the prior systems, devices and/or methods.
A second advantage of the invention is that it provides an apparatus and a method for vehicle rollover crash testing which allows a particular rollover impact situation to be accurately and consistently replicated.
A third advantage of the invention is that it provides an apparatus and a method for vehicle rollover crash testing which provides a full and reasonable replication of a vehicle rollover.
A fourth advantage of the invention is that it provides for vehicle rollover testing which allows certain roof-to-ground impact attributes, such as velocity, roll velocity, angle and drop height, to be selectively controlled and adjusted prior to the test, thereby providing repeatability from test to test.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for performing rollover testing of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a test fixture assembly on which the vehicle is mounted and which is selectively movable at a certain velocity; and at least one selectively releasable attachment member which is effective to couple the vehicle to the test fixture assembly and to selectively release the vehicle from the moving test fixture assembly, thereby testing a rollover crash event.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a method is provided for full scale testing a rollover event for a vehicle. The method includes the steps of: suspending the vehicle from a movable fixture at a predetermined yaw and pitch angular position; moving the fixture at a predetermined velocity; and releasing the vehicle from the fixture, thereby causing the vehicle to impact the ground in a repeatable rollover fashion.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.